Underground system of electric railways.



c. A. BALPH UNDERGBOQJND SYSTEM OF ELECTRIC RAILWAYS. (Applicnicm filedSept. 14, 1897 (No Model.) 2 Sheets'-Sheet l.

No. 653 649. Patented My, 1900.

I wIlII////l/l/Il/ MWk WW No 653,649. Patented July l7, I900.

42. A. BALPH. Y UNDERGROUND SYSTEM OF ELECTRIC BAILWAYS.

(Appliction filedfiapt. 14, 1897.)

2 Sheets- 8MB? 2,

(No Model.)

at am museum. ms c M zak said rails being connected to: the partible' UNTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

or-mamas A. YBALPILIOF PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA;

UNDERGROUND SYSTEM OF ELECTRIC RAILWAYS.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Iietters Patent N 0. 653,649, dated July17, 1900.

' Application filed September 14, 1897. Serial No. 661,674. (No model.)

To all whom it Duty concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES A. BALPH, a resident of Pittsburg, in thecounty of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented anewand'nseful Improvement in Underground Trolleys; and I do hereby declarethe following to be a full, clear, and exact .description thereof.

My invention relates to an underground trolley system for electricstreet-railways.

One of the main objects of my invention is to provide such anundergroundsystem in which the main conductor is so incased as toexclude the admissions of water or dampness, whereby many of thedifliculties heretofore encountered in underground systems of this kindare obviated.

The other purposes and advantages of the invention will all be fullyhereinafter set forth.

' That which I regard as new will be found in the claims hereinafter. 7p

To enable others skilled in thear't to make and use my invention, I willdescribe the same more fully, referring to the accompanyings drawings,in which Figure 1 is a longitudinal view of a portion of my improvedunderground system, part thereof being shown in section. Fig. 2 is across-section thereof. Fig. 3 is an enlarged cross-section 'of theconduit, showing the parts contained therein and the construction ofsaid conduit in detail. larged cross-section ofthe conductor, and itscasing, together with the plungers which form contact therewith. r

Like letters indicate like parts in each of the figures. 1

In the drawings I have illustrated my'in-,

vention in connection with an ordinary form.

of road-bed in which wooden cross-ties a are embedded in crushed'stoneand concrete, uch

construction being the one commonly" employed, although my invention isnot limited in its use to any particular form of road bcd. I As this isthe most common form of road-bed in use, I have shown my inventionasapplie'd thereto in order to show that my-invention maybeapplied, tosuch road-beds as areal-v ready in use without any material change.Secured tothe ties a are suitable rails b,

Fig. "4 'is an enyokes c by means of the rods 1), said rods having nutson the ends thereof. These partible yok'es c are bolted-to the ties atby means of the bolts 0, and said yokes are held together by means ofthe cross-bars d. The cross-bars d tend to hold the yokes together,while the rods I) tend to draw them apart, whereby said 'yokes are heldin proper position with reference to each other, and a slot e is formedat the upper endv thereof in which the trolley 'pole travels.

The space between the rails is usually filled in with paving-blocks, andto avoid the necessity of the use of manholes I prefer to form the yokeswith a removable piece 0 which forms the upper end or one side of saidyokes.

' This removable piece 0 has a flange a formed thereon, and this flangeo is bolted to flange c on the main part of the yoke, as clearly shownin Figs. 2 and 3. By this construction when it is desired to gain accessto the parts within the yoke it is only necessary to remove a row of thepaving-blocks adjacent to the slot on the side of the removable piece 0whereupon by removing the bolt which holds the parts 0 in place saidremovable portion can be removed and access can be had to parts withinthe conduit.

In order to obtain means for carryingofi the water which'may collectwithin the conduit in cases where the system is applied to a road havingalready a; road-bed like that illustrated, .1 form a gutterf at thebottom of the conduit, and this gutter I'line with cement f. out aportion of the ties at in order to make this gutter continuous, andaccordingly the ties are cut out as shown in Figs. 2 and 3 to providefor this continuous gutter. 7 At proper. intervals a drain-pipe f? leadsfrom said gutter to a sewer or other outlet.

Mounted on. the cross-ties a, at suitable intervals apart, are thebrackets g. These brackets 9 support the shell or casing it, said shellor casing being held in proper aline- 'ment by means of the/ plates 1'on both sides thereof,'which-are bolted on the bracket. 9 and whichengage the base h of said shell or casingh. This shell or casing h ispreferas glazed fire-clay or:other material of like nature. This casingh may becomposedof It is necessary, therefore,to cut too" sections ofsuitable length cemented or oth- An insulator 7t isinterposed betweenthe conductork and the seatfwithin the casing h. The conductor 7- may beof any shape in crosssection desired, although I prefer to have its.

upper or contacting [ace llat, for reasons whichwillmorefullyhereinafterappcar. Plungers I, arranged at suitableintervals, pass down and through the casing It, said plungers havingheads I, which are adapted to be forced into contact with the conductork. These plungers Z are held within suitable insulating tubes or guidesm and are adapted to move up and down freely therein. These guides atare supported by the cross-bars (I, said guides having the shoulders m,which rest upon the longitudinal bars 11, extending through from oneplunger to another throughout the length of the system. The upper end ofthe guide m has a neck m formed thereon, and a rubber orothercollapsible hood 0 is secured at its lower end around this neck n so asto form a tight joint with said guide m. The upper end of the hood 0 hasa contracted opening 0', which when distended can be passedover theupper end of the plunger l until it reaches the groove 1 formed in suchplunger, whereupon by the contraction of said hood a close water-tightjoint is made between the connection 0 and the plunger Z. The guide m isinserted within an openingin the casingh, and the joint between thetwoparts is'then cemented or otherwise closed to prevent the entrance ofwater or moisture.;

The upper end of the plunger 1 is threaded and screws into a threadedseat in, the con-.

'wish to limit myself in any way to any particular size. Springs t aresecured within suitable insulating-plates f, secured to the Vlongitudinal plates at, said springs acting to hold the sections 1'normally in an elevated position, said sections being adapted to yield,however, when pressed down by the action ofthe trolley-wheel or othertransmitting de-- vice, as will more fully hereinafter appear. Anysuitable pole or rod 3 is connected to the trolley-wheel, said rodpassing up through the slot e and carrying through connections (notshown) the electricity to the motor of as to force the plunger 1 intocontact with the main conductor 70. The electricity is then carried bythe plunger l to the conductor 2', whence it passes through the trolleywheel and pole to the motor in the car. As the trolley-wheel passes fromone section to another that end of the conductor '1' with which itfirst'co'mes in contact will first be depressed and the electricity willpassin the way described to the motor. As the trolley-wheel advancesfurther along toward the middle of the conductor 7" the other end of theconductor will begin to descend, andwhen the trolley-wheel has reachedabout the mid-point of said conductor both plungers on said condoctorwill be in contact with the main conductor k. Asthe trolley-wheel passesbeyond the mid-point the end just vreversed by said trolley-wheel willbegin to rise and the plunger at that end will be freed from contactwith the. conductor, being forced up by the spring 25'. In this mannerthe several sections of the conductor 7' are brought into use, and saidsections are only brought one at a time into contact with the mainconductor k.

The aboveconstruction admits of a shalglow conduit, so that it is notnecessary to extend the conduit belowthe ties, except, as I havereferred to, to .form the gutter for carrying on? the water. The casingh, which contains the main conductor k, is water-tight, so that allmoisture is excluded and the eflicieucy is greatly increased. ,Even'ifwater should collect in the conduit and reach a height above that of thecasing, yet no serious results would follow, owing to the water tightjoints.

The flexible hood 0 between the guide m and the plunger'l prevents anywater finding its way down within the guide on to the cas= ing, it,while at the same time said connection admits of the raising andlowering of the plunger.

Whatl claim as my invention is- 1. In an underground system for electricrailways, the combination with a suitable conduit, of a plurality ofyielding sectional conductors, a main conductor electrically charged,-acasing completely inclosing said main conductor, a tube entering saidcasing, a plunger on said sectional conductor,- and within said tube,said plunger and said tube being severally provided with circumferentialgrooves, and a collapsible hood surrounding the upper end of said tubeand plunger and engaging said grooves, substantially as set.

forth. l

In an nndergroundfis'ystem for electric railways, the combination with asuitable conduit, of a. plurality-of yielding sectional, conductors, amain conductor electrically charged, a casing completely inclosiug saidupper end of said hood beingimmovably secured around said plunger,substantially as set forth.

3. In an underground system for electric railways the combination with asuitable conduit, of a plurality of yielding sectional tions, asectional conductor, said springs hearing against said conductor ateach-side of the mid-point thereof, projections at each end ofsaid'conductor, and a mainconductor electrically charged, with which"said"projectioform contact, substantially as set forth.

5. In an underground system for electric railways, the combination witha suitable conduit, of a main conductor, a casing completely inclosingsaid conductor and located in said conduit, reciprocating plungersadapted to enter said casing and make contact with said conductor,sectional conductors from which said plungers depend,'a'ndlongitudinally-disposed plate-springs for supporting said sectionalconductors, substantially as set forth. 1

In'testimony whereof. I, the said CHARLES A. 'BALPH, have hereunto setmy hand.

CHARLES A. BALPH.

Witnesses? Rom". D. Terran, ROBERT C. TorTEN.

